Damaged or missing flashing is one of the top reasons a home’s roof will form a leak. Leaks can take time to appear inside the home’s main living space, which also means that a leak may be around for a while even if you are only now seeing signs of one. Because of this it’s imperative that as a homeowner, you are regularly inspecting and maintaining roof flashing.
How to Inspect and Maintain your Roof’s Flashing
A roof needs to have regular reviews and maintenance as needed. Effectively overseeing your roof’s condition will involve reviewing all the parts of your roof’s structure and that includes the flashing elements. Areas around chimneys, sections of a roof that meet another section, drip edges, valleys, solar structures, skylights, and vents will all have flashing that should be reviewed.
Why Does Roof Flashing Fail?
Roof flashing can be made of metal, rubber, or plastic. These materials can wear at different rates than the rest of a roof’s structure. Roof flashing can wear and fail from the same concerns that wear or damage any other part of a roof’s configuration.
Storms and age will be the likely culprits to roof flashing failures. High winds can move or bend flashing. If your flashing is not metal, it can also dry out from heat and wind, and become brittle, torn, and cracked. Metal flashing can feel the stress of strong winds, repeated storms, heat, and hail and bend, crack, and develop holes.
What is the Lifespan of Roof Flashing?
As flashing on a roof ages and endures harsh weather, it can deteriorate. The lifespan of flashing varies based on what it’s made from and how often it sees rough weather. In general, metal flashing will likely have the same life expectancy of the roof itself. Plastic and rubber can certainly be shorter.
Heat, dry air, wind, hail, and time can all affect a roof’s flashing. Reviewing this section of a roof during a regular inspection is necessary to avoid problems from developing.
Does Roof Flashing Need to Be Sealed?
Sealing flashing is important to block moisture and pests from penetrating these vulnerable areas. If roof flashing does develop an issue, it can likely be repaired, replaced, and resealed to secure a roof and prevent other issues from appearing.
Roofing sealant can wear, crack, and pull away from roof flashing causing leaking issues in a home. It can be a simple fix if caught and repaired before a large leak can develop. Again, this aging will depend on environmental circumstances and regular inspections can prevent future home damage.
Should a Roofer Replace Flashing?
Maintaining your roof can come with a few tasks every year. If a homeowner is handy and safe on a roof, flashing can be repaired by them. A professional roofer is certainly a good candidate to replace and reseal damaged roof flashing.
If a new roof is being installed on a home, roof flashing should absolutely be replaced at that time. Reusing old, worn, or damaged flashing won’t save anything. And, it will likely cause issues and headaches in the future. A roofer should replace flashing on a new structure to meet safety requirements and likely for housing codes as well.
Inspecting a Roof’s Flashing
A perfect time to review the flashing on your roof is when you need to review your roof overall. At the same time, inspecting flashing and sealants more often can prove beneficial in preventing small leaks and damage. Ask your preferred roofing professional to inspect your roof and advise you on any necessary repairs or maintenance.
Your Local Austin, TX Roofing Professionals
We strive to bring you the best in roofing for the Austin, Texas area. We deliver decades of roofing experience, training, and knowledge in this area’s needs. We are a prominent roofing company in residential roof repair and roof replacement. We will not ask for a deposit on labor or materials as a dependable way to stand out from the competition while bringing you the best product and service in Austin.
When we inspect, install, or repair your roof, we want to provide you with the best options for your roof design, components, and ventilation. We are Master Elite Contractors bringing you the latest in roofing technology, and a member of our local area Better Business Bureau, so you know we take pride in our work and our community.
Contact us by phone or email to schedule your FREE roofing inspection and quote today.
